This is a list of famous

Amazigh people , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...

. The Amazigh are a transnational

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

n ethnic group who speak the

Amazigh languages The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight,, ber, label=Tuareg Tifinagh, ⵜⵎⵣⵗⵜ, ) are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related languages spoken by Berber commun ...

Royalty and nobility

Ancient period

Bust_of_Macrinus_-_Palazzo_Nuovo_-_Musei_Capitolini_-_Rome_2016

* Osorkon the Elder, fifth king of the twenty-first dynasty of Ancient Egypt and was the first Pharaoh of Libyan origin *

Shoshenq I Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I (Egyptian ''ššnq''; reigned c. 943–922 BC)—also known as Shashank or Sheshonk or Sheshonq Ifor discussion of the spelling, see Shoshenq—was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Twenty-secon ...

, Egyptian

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...

of Libyan origin, founder of the

Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt The Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt is also known as the Bubastite Dynasty, since the pharaohs originally ruled from the city of Bubastis. It was founded by Shoshenq I. The Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, and Twenty-f ...

* Ailymas, Numidian chieftain or King, ally of

Agathocles of Syracuse Agathocles ( grc-gre, Ἀγαθοκλῆς, ''Agathoklḗs''; 361–289 BC) was a Greek tyrant of Syracuse (317–289 BC) and self-styled king of Sicily (304–289 BC). Biography Agathocles was born at Thermae Himeraeae (modern na ...

. *

Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenog ...

, King of the Massylii (East-Numidia) until 206 BC. * Baga (also ''Bagas''), king of

Mauretania Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic, covering northern present-day Morocco, and southward to the Atlas Mountains. Its native inhabitants, ...

(or Maurusia, North Morocco) about 225 BC, ally of Massinissa of Numidia. * Oezalces, King of Numidia for a short time in 206 BC, brother of King Gaia. * Mazaetullus, member of the Massylii royal family. Led a coup to assassinate Capussa and install Lacumazes. *

Capussa Capussa was a king of the ancient Numidian tribe Massylii in 206 BCE. He was the son of Oezalces who had succeeded his brother, Gala, on the massylian throne. Biography Oezalces had normally inherited the power since he was the oldest prince. ...

, son of Oezalces, King of Numidia for a short time in 206 BC, assassinated in a coup. *

Lacumazes Lacumazes was a king of the ancient Numidian tribe Massylii in 206 BCE. Biography He was the youngest son of Oezalces and little brother of Capussa. Although when he was still very young, he was put on the throne of the Massylii by Mazaetullus ...

, youngest son of Oezalces, King of Numidia for a short time in 206 BC, puppet king installed in coup. * Syphax, King of the

Masaesyli The Masaesyli were a Berber tribe of western Numidia (present day Algeria) and the main antagonists of the Massylii in eastern Numidia. During the Second Punic War the Masaesyli initially supported the Roman Republic and were led by Syphax ag ...

(West-Numidia) until 203 BC. *

Masinissa Masinissa ( nxm, , ''MSNSN''; ''c.'' 238 BC – 148 BC), also spelled Massinissa, Massena and Massan, was an ancient Numidian king best known for leading a federation of Massylii Berber tribes during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC), ulti ...

, King of the Massylii, founder and King of

Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...

, in present-day Algeria and Tunisia. *

Vermina Vermina (, ) was the son of king Syphax, king of Masaesylian Berbers, a Berber tribe of western Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the ...

or Fermina, son of Syphax, King of the Masaesyli. *

Archobarzane Archobarzane, grandson of Syphax, was the last king of the Masaesylians, after his father Vermina. Contrary to his father, who sought peace with the Romans after the Second Punic War, Archobarzane seems to have been in favor of Carthage Cart ...

, son of Vermina, last King of the Masaesyli, led a failed attack against Massinissa. *

Micipsa Micipsa (Numidian: MKWSN; , ; died BC) was the eldest legitimate son of Masinissa, the King of Numidia, a Berber kingdom in North Africa. Micipsa became the King of Numidia in 148 BC. Early life In 151 BC, Masinissa sent Micipsa and his brother ...

, King of Numidia, son of Massinissa. *

Jugurtha Jugurtha or Jugurthen (Libyco-Berber ''Yugurten'' or '' Yugarten'', c. 160 – 104 BC) was a king of Numidia. When the Numidian king Micipsa, who had adopted Jugurtha, died in 118 BC, Jugurtha and his two adoptive brothers, Hiempsal and Adh ...

, King of Numidia from 118 to 105 BC. *

Hiempsal I Hiempsal I (died c. 117 BC), son of Micipsa and grandson of Masinissa, was a king of Numidia in the late 2nd century BC. Micipsa, on his deathbed, left his two sons, Adherbal and Hiempsal, together with his cousin, Jugurtha, joint heirs of hi ...

, King of Numidia, son of Micipsa, assassinated by Jugurtha. * Adherbal, King of Numidia from 118 to 112 BC, son of Micipsa, murdered by Jugurtha. * Bocchus, king of Mauretania about 110 BC until 80 BC. * Volux, son of Bocchus, army leader. *

Bogud Bogud (died 31 BC), son of King Mastanesosus of Mauretania, was a Berber joint king of Mauretania with his elder brother Bocchus II, with Bocchus ruling east of the Moulouya River and his brother west. An important ally of Julius Caesar, Bogud lat ...

, son of Bocchus. * Gauda, King of Numidia from 105 to 88 BC, divided the kingdom between his sons upon his death. * Masteabar, petty king of West-Numidia. *

Hiempsal II Hiempsal II was a king of Numidia (ruled 88 BC - 60 BC). He was the son of Gauda, half-brother of Jugurtha, and was the father of Juba I. In 88 BC, after the triumph of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, when Gaius Marius and his son fled from Rome to Afr ...

, king of Numidia, son of Gauda, 88 to 60 BC. * Hiarbas, usurper king of Numidia, defeated by Romans to restore Massinissa II on the throne. Died in 82 or 81 BC. *

Masinissa II Masinissa II (or Massinissa II) was the petty king of western Numidia with his capital at Cirta (81–46 BC). He was named after, or took his name after, his famous ancestor Masinissa I, the unifier and founder of the kingdom of Numidia. Ma ...

, petty king of West-Numidia (81 to 46 BC), son of Masteabar. *

Mastanesosus Mastanesosus (or Sosus or Sus) was a Berber king of Mauretania (modern-day Morocco and Western Algeria) and son of Bocchus I. He ruled from around 80 BC to 49 BC. Evidence The little information known about King Mastanesosus comes from coins bear ...

, king of Mauretania from 80 to 49 BC, son of Bocchus. *

Juba I Juba I of Numidia ( lat, IVBA, xpu, ywbʿy; –46BC) was a king of Numidia (reigned 60–46 BC). He was the son and successor to Hiempsal II. Biography In 81 BC Hiempsal had been driven from his throne; soon afterwards, Pompey was sent to Af ...

, king of Numidia, 60 to 46 BC, son of Hiempsal II, defeated by Julius Caesar who annexed his kingdom. *

Arabio Arabio (or Arabion) was the last independent Numidian king, ruling the western region between 44 and 40 BC. According to Appian, he was a son of Masinissa II and probable grandson of Gauda, who had divided Numidia between his sons in 88&nbs ...

or Arabion, last independent king of Numidia, son of Massinissa II. *

, king of West-Mauretania, son of Mastanesosus, from 49 to 38 BC. *

Bocchus II Bocchus II was a king of Mauretania in the 1st century BC. He was the son of Mastanesosus, who died in 49 BC, upon which Bocchus inherited the throne. Biography He was surely the son of Mastanesosus, king of Mauretania. His father was identifie ...

, king of East-Mauretania from 49 to 38 BC, then all of Mauretania until 33 BC. Son of Mastanesosus. Died without leaving heirs. *

Juba II Juba II or Juba of Mauretania (Latin: ''Gaius Iulius Iuba''; grc, Ἰóβας, Ἰóβα or ;Roller, Duane W. (2003) ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' "Routledge (UK)". pp. 1–3. . c. 48 BC – AD 23) was the son of Juba I and client ...

, son of Juba I. king of Numidia (30 to 25 BC) and then later moved to Mauretania (25 BC to 23 AD). *

Ptolemy of Mauretania Ptolemy of Mauretania ( grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ''Ptolemaîos''; la, Gaius Iulius Ptolemaeus; 13 9BC–AD40) was the last Roman client king and ruler of Mauretania for Rome. He was the son of Juba II, the king of Numidia and a member ...

, last king of Mauretania (23 to 40 AD). *

Macrinus Marcus Opellius Macrinus (; – June 218) was Roman emperor from April 217 to June 218, reigning jointly with his young son Diadumenianus. As a member of the equestrian class, he became the first emperor who did not hail from the senatori ...

, Roman emperor for 14 months in 217 and 218. * Aemilianus, Roman emperor. *

Lusius Quietus Lusius Quietus ( la, Lusius Quiētus, ; grc-koi, Λούσιος Κυήτος, Loúsios Kyítos, ) was a Roman Berber general and 11th legate of Judaea in 117–120. He was the principal commander against the Jewish rebellion known as the Kitos ...

, governor of

Judaea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous south ...

and one of

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

's chief generals *

Quintus Lollius Urbicus Quintus Lollius Urbicus was a Numidian Berber governor of Roman Britain between the years 139 and 142, during the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius. He is named in the ''Historia Augusta'', although it is not entirely historical, and his name ...

, governor of

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

from 138 to 144 *

Gildo Gildo (died 398) was a Roman Berber general in the province of Mauretania Caesariensis. He revolted against Honorius and the Western Roman Empire ( Gildonic war), but was defeated and possibly committed suicide or was assassinated. Etymology Th ...

, Roman general who turned against the Romans and fought them in 398 Statue of Dyhia in Khenchela (Algeria)

Medieval period

Dihya Al-Kahina ( ar, الكاهنة, , the diviner), also known as Dihya, was a Berber queen of the Aurès and a religious and military leader who led indigenous resistance to the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, the region then known as Numidia notably ...

, Berber queen, religious and military leader * Abu Yedda, 10th century Berber leader *

Aksel :''See Kusaila for the 7th-century Berber leader.'' Aksel is a masculine name, used predominantly throughout Scandinavia, a variant of Axel. People with the name include: *Aksel Agerby (1889–1942), Danish composer, organist, and music admin ...

, Berber freedom fighter against the Arab raids and invasions who killed

Uqba ibn Nafi ʿUqba ibn Nāfiʿ ibn ʿAbd al-Qays al-Fihrī al-Qurashī ( ar, عقبة بن نافع بن عبد القيس الفهري القرشي, ʿUqba ibn Nāfiʿ ibn ʿAbd al-Qays al-Fihrī), also simply known as Uqba ibn Nafi, was an Arab general ser ...

Muhammad ibn Wasul Muhammad ibn al-Fath Wasul ibn Maymun al-Amir () () was the tenth Midrarid emir of Sijilmasa. He was the first Midrarid ruler to adopt Maliki Sunni Islam. Biography He was a son of al-Fath Wasul ibn Maymun al-Amir (), and cousin of his predec ...

Midrarid The Midrarid dynasty () was a Berber dynasty that ruled the Sijilmasa region in Morocco from their capital of Sijilmasa, starting in the late 8th or early 9th century to 976/7. History The exact origin or date of foundation of the Midrarid d ...

emir of

Sijilmasa , alternate_name = , image = 1886608-the ruins of Sijilmassa-Rissani.jpg , alt = , caption = Sijilmasa ruins , map_type = Morocco , map_alt = , coordinates = , location = Errachidia, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco , region = , type = Sett ...

. *

Safiyy al-Dawla Ṣafiyy al-Dawla Muḥammad ibn ʿAli ibn Jaʾfar ibn Falāh () was the Fatimid governor of Aleppo between October 1022 and April 1023.Zakkar 1971, pp. 64–65. He was specifically assigned to govern the city, while the citadel of Aleppo was assi ...

Fatimid The Fatimid Caliphate was an Ismaili Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. The Fatimids, a dy ...

governor of

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

between October 1022 and April 1023 * Lucius Septimius Severus * Thu'ban ibn Muhammad, Fatimid governor of Aleppo between 27 July 1024 and 30 June 1025 *

Ziri ibn Manad Ziri ibn Manad or Ziri son of Mennad (died in 971) was the founder of the Zirid dynasty in the Maghreb. Ziri ibn Mennad was a chief of the Takalata branch of the Sanhajah confederation, to which the Kutama Berbers belonged located in the Central M ...

, founder of the

Zirid The Zirid dynasty ( ar, الزيريون, translit=az-zīriyyūn), Banu Ziri ( ar, بنو زيري, translit=banū zīrī), or the Zirid state ( ar, الدولة الزيرية, translit=ad-dawla az-zīriyya) was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from m ...

dynasty *

Yusuf ibn Tashfin Yusuf ibn Tashfin, also Tashafin, Teshufin, ( ar, يوسف بن تاشفين ناصر الدين بن تالاكاكين الصنهاجي , Yūsuf ibn Tāshfīn Naṣr al-Dīn ibn Tālākakīn al-Ṣanhājī ; reigned c. 1061 – 1106) was l ...

, founder of the

Almoravid dynasty The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that s ...

Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyah Zaynab an-Nafzāwiyyah ( ar, زينب النفزاوية) (fl. 1075), was a Berber woman of influence in the early days of the Almoravid Berber empire which gained control of Morocco, Algeria, and parts of Spain. She was married to Yusuf ibn Tas ...

, Berber woman of influence in the early days of the Almoravid Berber empire *

Fannu Fannu bint Umar ibn Yintan (died April 1147) was a princess and a Commanding officer of the Almoravid dynasty. In the guise of a man, wearing armour she participated in the defense of the citadel of Marrakesh during the Almohad Caliphate, Almohad co ...

(died April 1147), Almoravid princess, in the guise of a man, she participated in the defense of Almoravid

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

. *

'Abdallah ibn Ghaniya Abdallah ibn Ishaq ibn Muhammad ibn Ghaniya, known as Abdallah ibn Ghaniya ( ar, عبد الله بن غانية) (died 1203) was a member of the Banu Ghaniya dynasty who fought against the Almohad Caliphate in the late twelfth and early thirteenth ...

, Amir of

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...

from c. 1187 to 1203 *

Abd al-Mu'min Abd al Mu'min (c. 1094–1163) ( ar, عبد المؤمن بن علي or عبد المومن الــكـومي; full name: ʿAbd al-Muʾmin ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAlwī ibn Yaʿlā al-Kūmī Abū Muḥammad) was a prominent member of the Almohad move ...

(c. 1094–1163), first

Caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

of the

Almohad Empire The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the Tawhid, unity of God) was a North African Berbers, Berber M ...

Abu Yaqub Yusuf Abu Ya`qub Yusuf or Yusuf I ( ''Abū Ya‘qūb Yūsuf''; 1135 – 14 October 1184) was the second Almohad ''Amir'' or caliph. He reigned from 1163 until 1184 in Marrakesh. He was responsible for the construction of the Giralda in Seville, which ...

, had the

Giralda The Giralda ( es, La Giralda ) is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain. It was built as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty, with a Renaissance-style ...

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

built * Yusuf II, Almohad caliph, had the

Torre del Oro The Torre del Oro ( ar, بُرْج الذَّهَب, burj aḏẖ-ḏẖahab, lit=Tower of Gold) is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain. It was erected by the Almohad Caliphate in order to control access to Seville via th ...

built *

Abu Said Uthman III Abu Said Uthman III () (Abu Said Uthman ibn Abi l-Abbas ibn Abi Salim), (1383 – 21 October 1420) was Marinid ruler of Morocco from 19 March 1398 to 1420, the last effective ruler of that dynasty. He ascended to the throne at the age of sixteen. ...

Marinid The Marinid Sultanate was a Berber Muslim empire from the mid-13th to the 15th century which controlled present-day Morocco and, intermittently, other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) a ...

ruler of Morocco from 19 March 1398 to 1420 *

Buluggin ibn Ziri Buluggin ibn Ziri, often transliterated Bologhine, in full ʾAbū al Futūḥ Sayf ad Dawlah Bulukīn ibn Zīrī ibn Manād aṣ Ṣanhājī ( ar, أبو الفتوح سيف الدولة بلكين بن زيري بن مناد الصنهاجي; die ...

, Zirid ruler who founded the cities of

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

Médéa Médéa ( ber, Lemdiyyet, ar, المدية ''al-Madiya''), population 123,535 (1998 census) is the capital city of Médéa Province, Algeria. It is located roughly 68 km south of Algiers. The present-day city is situated on the site o ...

and

Miliana Miliana ( ar, مليانة) is a commune in Aïn Defla Province in northwestern Algeria. It is the administrative center of the daïra, or district, of the same name. It is approximately southwest of the Algerian capital, Algiers.r/sup>, which ...

. *

Badis Ibn Habus Badis ibn Habus ( ar, باديس بن حبوس) was the third Berber king of the Taifa of Granada and the founder of the Alhambra palace. He ruled between 1038 and 1073. Biography A member of the Berber Zirid dynasty, Badis ibn Habus succeed ...

, defeated the

Abbadids The Abbadid dynasty or Abbadids ( ar, بنو عباد, Banū ʿAbbādi) was an Arab Muslim dynasty which arose in al-Andalus on the downfall of the Caliphate of Cordoba (756–1031). After the collapse, there were multiple small Muslim states ca ...

of Seville one of the strongest taifas and also defeated the taifa of Almeria and took control of its territory. He also defeated the

Hammudids The Hammudid dynasty () was a Berberized Arab Muslim family that briefly ruled the Caliphate of CórdobaLane-Poole (1894), p.21 and the taifas of Málaga and Algeciras and nominal control in Ceuta. The dynasty The dynasty is named after their ...

and conquered the Taifa of Malaga.Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain
/ref>

Military

Antiquity

Aedemon Aedemon () was a freedman of Berber origins from Mauretania who lived in the 1st century AD. Aedemon was a loyal former household slave to the client King Ptolemy of Mauretania, who was the son of King Juba II and the Ptolemaic Princess Cleopat ...

, led a revolt against Romans after the assassination of King

in 40 AD *

Tacfarinas Tacfarinas ( Latinised form of Berber Tikfarin or Takfarin; died AD 24) was a Numidian Berber from Thagaste, located in the province of Proconsular Africa (now Souk Ahras, in Algeria), who was a deserter from the Roman army who led his own Mus ...

, fought the Romans in the Aures Mountains *

Firmus According to the '' Historia Augusta'', Firmus (died 273) was a usurper during the reign of Aurelian. The contradictory accounts of his life and the man himself are considered to be a complete fabrication, perhaps based on the later Firmus. H ...

, fought the Romans Between 372 and 375 *

Cutzinas Cutzinas or Koutzinas ( el, Κουτζίνας) was a Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in Africa in the middle of the 6th century, fighting both against and f ...

(died January 563), Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

against the Berber tribes in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Antalas Antalas (; el, Ἀντάλας; c. 500 – after 548) was a Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in Africa. Antalas and his tribe, the Frexes initially served the Byzantines as ...

(born c. 500), tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in

. *

Ierna Ierna (d. 547) was a Berber tribal leader of the Laguatan and also high priest of the god Gurzil who was active in the praetorian prefecture of Africa during the Moorish Wars of the mid-sixth century. Apparently he led the Laguatan at the Battle ...

, tribal leader of the

Laguatan The Laguatan (Lawata, Lawati) was a Zenata Berber clan that inhabited the Cyrenaica area during the Roman period. They have been described as primarily raiders and nomadic, but others consider them a settled group who also raided. The Laguatan eme ...

and also high priest of the god

Gurzil Gurzil was an important ancient Berber deity. He is known from two sources, the Latin poem ''Iohannis'' by the 6th-century Christian Roman poet Corippus and a Neo-Punic inscription from Lepcis Magna.A. F. Elmayer, "The Libyan God Gurzil in a Neo-Pu ...

, Roman general and governor of Judaea who conquered several cities in the middle east, as well as destroying the Jewish rebels of Judaea *

, governor of

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and conquered

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, he also built the Antonine Wall

Medieval period

, Berber queen and military leader who defeated many Arab invaders and raiders *

, Berber freedom fighter and prevented many Arab raids, he also killed the famous Arab general,

Tariq ibn Ziyad Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād ( ar, طارق بن زياد), also known simply as Tarik in English, was a Berber commander who served the Umayyad Caliphate and initiated the Muslim Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania (present-day Spain and Portugal) ...

(670–720), led the Islamic Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania (711–718) * Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati, Berber general who led the Berber revolt against the Umayyads and killed Umayyad governor

Kulthum ibn Iyadh al-Kushayri Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qushayri () was an Umayyad governor of Ifriqiya for a few months, from February to his death in October 741. Life Kulthum ibn Iyad, an Arab aristocrat of the Qaysi tribe of Qushayr (branch of the Banu Amir), was appointed by ...

and umayyad general

Habib ibn Abi Ubaida al-Fihri Habib ibn Abi Ubaida al-Fihri () (died October 741) was an Arab military commander of the illustrious Fihrid (or 'Oqbid') family who played an important role in the early history of Ifriqiya (Tunisia) and al-Andalus (Spain). Biography Habib ibn ...

on the way to freeing modern day Morocco and Algeria from Arab rule. *

Ali ibn Ja'far ibn Fallah Quṭb al-Dawla Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Jaʾfar ibn Fallāh () () was a Fatimid commander and governor in the service of Caliph al-Hakim (). Life Ali was a son of Ja'far ibn Falah, a prominent Kutami Berber general. Ali succeeded his brother ...

, Fatimid commander and governor who defeated Umayyad commander Abu Rakwa (who nearly conquered Egypt) he also saved many parts of the middle east from the huge Bedouin army under

Mufarrij ibn Daghfal ibn al-Jarrah Mufarrij ibn Daghfal ibn al-Jarrah al-Tayyi (), in some sources erroneously called Daghfal ibn Mufarrij, was an emir of the Jarrahid family and leader of the Tayy tribe. Mufarrij was engaged in repeated rebellions against the Fatimid Caliphate, wh ...

* Ja'far ibn Fallah (died August 971), Berber general of the

Kutama The Kutama ( Berber: ''Ikutamen''; ar, كتامة) was a Berber tribe in northern Algeria classified among the Berber confederation of the Bavares. The Kutama are attested much earlier, in the form ''Koidamousii'' by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. ...

tribe in the service of the

Fatimid Caliphate The Fatimid Caliphate was an Isma'ilism, Ismaili Shia Islam, Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the ea ...

. Who defeated the

Qarmatians The Qarmatians ( ar, قرامطة, Qarāmiṭa; ) were a militant Isma'ilism, Isma'ili Shia Islam, Shia movement centred in Al-Ahsa Oasis, al-Hasa in Eastern Arabia, where they established a Utopia#Religious utopias, religious-utopian Socialis ...

from Syria *

Ziri ibn Atiyya Ziri ibn Atiyya (Berber language: Ziri en Ɛaṭiyya Ameɣraw) also known as Ziri ibn Atiyya ibn Abd Allah ibn Tabādalt ibn Muhammad ibn Khazar az-Zanātī al-Maghrāwī al-Khazarī (died 1001) was the tribal leader of the Berber Maghrawa tribal ...

, leader of the Zenata Maghrawa of

Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the por ...

who conquered many cities in Maghreb, he also found the city of

Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...

Mazdali ibn Tilankan Abu Muhammad Mazdali ibn Tilankan ( ar, أبو محمد مزدلي بن تيلانكان) (d. march 1115) was a Berber military commander and diplomat for the Almoravid empire. Once Yusuf ibn Tashfin decided to become independent, he chose Mazdali ...

, Almoravid military commander and diplomat *

Syr ibn Abi Bakr Syr ibn Abi Bakr ibn Tashfin ( ar, سير بن أبي بكر) (d. 1113) was a Berber military commander for the Almoravid empire. He is considered one the greatest military tacticians that Ibn Tashfin had. Biography Syr belonged to the Banu Tur ...

, Almoravid military commander *

Ibn Masal Najm al-Din Abu'l-Fath Salim/Sulayman ibn Muhammad al-Lukki al-Maghribi ( ar, ﻧﺠﻢ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﺍﺑﻮ ﺍﻟﻔﺘﺢ ﺳﻠﻴﻢ/ﺴﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ ﺑﻦ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺍﻟﻠﻜﻲ, Najm al-Dīn Abu’l-Fatḥ Salīm/Sulaymān ibn ...

, military commander and official of the

Hammu ibn Abd al-Haqq Hammu ibn Abd al-Haqq ibn Rahhu () was a Marinid prince who served as ''shaykh al-ghuzat'' (chief of the Volunteers of the Faith) in the Nasrid Emirate of Granada during the reigns of Muhammad III () and Nasr (). He unsuccessfully rebelled ag ...

prince Commander (''shaykh al-ghuzat'') of the Volunteers of the Faith of Granada *

Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula Abu Sa'id Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula (; also Don Uzmén in Castilian sources; died 1330) was a Marinid prince who led an unsuccessful rebellion aiming to capture the throne, and fled to the Nasrid Emirate of Granada in its aftermath. There he served as ...

, Marinid prince Commander (''shaykh al-ghuzat'') of the Volunteers of the Faith of Granada Portrait-Fatma N'Soumer

Modern period

Abd el-Krim Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi (; Tarifit: Muḥend n Ɛabd Krim Lxeṭṭabi, ⵎⵓⵃⵏⴷ ⵏ ⵄⴰⴱⴷⵍⴽⵔⵉⵎ ⴰⵅⵟⵟⴰⴱ), better known as Abd el-Krim (1882/1883, Ajdir, Morocco – 6 February 1963, Cairo, Egypt) ...

, leader of the

Rif The Rif or Riff (, ), also called Rif Mountains, is a geographic region in northern Morocco. This mountainous and fertile area is bordered by Cape Spartel and Tangier to the west, by Berkane and the Moulouya River to the east, by the Mediterrane ...

guerrillas against the Spanish and French colonizers * Larbi Ben M'Hidi *

Abdelhafid Boussouf Abdelhafid Boussouf ( ar, عبد الحفيظ بوصوف; 17 August 1926, Mila, Algeria – 31 December 1980 Paris, France) was an Algerian nationalist and a leader of the Front de libération nationale (FLN) during the Algerian War of Indepe ...

, founder of the Algerian Military intelligence *

Mustapha Benboulaïd Mustafa ( ar, مصطفى , Muṣṭafā) is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world. Given name Mo ...

Abane Ramdane Abane Ramdane (June 10, 1920 – December 26, 1957) was an Algerian political activist and revolutionary. He played a key role in the organization of the independence struggle during the Algerian war. His influence was so great that he was know ...

, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1957 in an internal purge. * Krim Belkacem, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1970, allegedly by Algerian secret services. * Colonel Amirouche, Algerian revolutionary fighter, killed by French troops in 1959. * Lalla Fatma n Soumer, woman who led western

Kabylie Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kabyle people. It is part of the ...

in battle against French troops. * Belkacem Radjef, early leading figure of the movement for independence. *

Mohammed Ameziane Amghar Mohammed Ameziane (Tamazight: ⴰⵎⵖⴰⵔ ⵎⵓⵃⴰⵏⴷ ⴰⵎⵥⵢⴰⵏ ''Amɣar Muḥand Ameẓyan''; also known as El Mizzian by the Spanish, who also dubbed him as "''el Malo''"—"the Bad One"—; died 1912) was a leader ...

, leader of the Moroccan Riffian resistance against the Spanish occupation of Northern Morocco. *

Mulai Ahmed er Raisuni Mulai Ahmed er Raisuni (Arabic: "مولاي أحمد الريسوني", known as Raisuli to most English speakers, also Raissoulli, Rais Uli, and Raysuni; 1871 – April 1925) was a Sharif (descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), and a leader ...

, leader of the Jebala tribal confederacy in Morocco *

Mouha ou Hammou Zayani Mouha Ou Hammou Zayani, by his full name: Mohammed ou Hammou ben Akka ben Ahmed, also known as Moha Ou Hamou al-Harkati Zayani (c.1863 – 27 March 1921) was a Moroccan Berber military figure and tribal leader who played an important role in ...

, Moroccan Berber military figure and tribal leader * Moha ou Said, Moroccan tribal leader who opposed French rule of the protectorate of Morocco. * Abdellah Zakour, Moroccan Soussi Berber military leader who opposed the French conquest of Morocco

Art

Kaddour M'Hamsadji avec Kateb Yacine Crop

Handmade oil painting reproduction of Ibn Battuta in Egypt, a painting by Hippolyte Leon Benett

Writers and poets

Ancient period

Terence Publius Terentius Afer (; – ), better known in English as Terence (), was a Roman African playwright during the Roman Republic. His comedies were performed for the first time around 166–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought ...

, (Publius Terentius Afer), Roman writer *

Apuleius Apuleius (; also called Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis; c. 124 – after 170) was a Numidian Latin-language prose writer, Platonist philosopher and rhetorician. He lived in the Roman province of Numidia, in the Berber city of Madauros, modern-day ...

, (125–170), born in Madaurus (M'Daourouch), Philosopher and Rhetorician. Who wrote the only Latin novel to survive its entirety *

Corippus Flavius Cresconius Corippus was a late Berber-Roman epic poet of the 6th century, who flourished under East Roman Emperors Justinian I and Justin II. His major works are the epic poem '' Iohannis'' and the panegyric ''In laudem Iustini minoris''. ...

, late Berber-Roman epic poet of the 6th century *

Cresconius Africanus Cresconius Africanus (Crisconius) was a Latin canon lawyer, of uncertain date and place. He flourished, probably, in the latter half of the 7th century. He was probably a Christian bishop of the African Church. Concordia canonum Cresconius made a ...

, Latin canon lawyer, possibly a Christian Bishop in the African Church

Medieval period

Ibn Darraj al-Qastalli Abu Umar Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Asi ibn Ahmad ibn Sulayman ibn Isa ibn Darraj al-Qastalli (, 958–1030) was an Andalusi poet of Berber origin. He was an author of courtly poetry for the Córdoban military leader Almanzor and after 1018, fo ...

(958–1030), Andalusi poet of Berber origin * Hafsa bint al-Hajj al-Rukuniyya (born c. 1135, died AH 1190–91), one of the most celebrated

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

n female poets of medieval Arabic literature *

Ibn Muti al-Zawawi Ibn Mu‘ṭī al-Zawāwī ()Abū 'l-Ḥusayn Yaḥyā ibn ‘Abd al-Nur Zayn al-Dīn al-Zawāwī, or Abū Zakarīyā’ Yaḥyā ibn ‘Abd al-Mu’ṭī ibn ‘Abdannūr az-Zawāwī ( – 1231 CE (564–628 AH)); was a Ḥanafī ''faqīh'' (ju ...

(1168/69–1231), grammarian and poet *

Al-Busiri Al-Būṣīrī ( ar, ابو عبد الله محمد بن سعيد بن حماد الصنهاجي البوصيري, Abū ʿAbdallāh Muhammad ibn Saʿīd al-Ṣanhājī al-Būṣīrī; 1212–1294) was a Sanhaji Berber Muslim poet belong ...

(1211–1294), Sufi poet *

Mohammed Awzal Muhammad bin Ali al-Hawzali (, ; 1680–1749) is the most important author in the literary tradition of the Tachelhit language. He was born around 1680 in the village of al-Qaṣaba (Elqeṣba) in tribal territory of the Induzal, in the region of ...

(ca. 1680–1749), prolific Sous Berber poet

Modern period

Fadhma Aït Mansour Marguerite-Fadhma Aït Mansour Amrouche ( in Tizi Hibel, Algeria – July 9, 1967 in Saint-Brice-en-Coglès, France) was a poet and folksinger. Biography She was born in 1882 in a Kabylie village, the illegitimate daughter of a widow. Fa ...

, Algerian poet and folksinger. Mother of Jean Amrouche and Taos Amrouche *

Taos Amrouche Marie-Louise-Taos Amrouche (born 4 March 1913 in Tunis, Tunisia; died 2 April 1976 in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, France) was an Algerian writer and singer. In 1947, she became the first Algerian woman to publish a novel. Biography She was ...

(4 March 1913 – 2 April 1976), Algerian writer and singer *

Jean Amrouche Jean el Mouhouv Amrouche (7 February 1906 in Ighil Ali, Algeria – 16 April 1962 in Paris, France) was an Algerian francophone writer, poet and journalist. Biography Jean el Mouhouv Amrouche was born February 7, 1906, in Ighil Ali, in the val ...

(7 February 1906 – 16 April 1962), Algerian writer and Taos Amrouche's brother *

Nadia Chafik Nadia Chafik (born 02 01 1962 in Casablanca) is a Moroccan people, Moroccan novelist. Biography Nadia Chafik was born in Casablanca in 1962, and grew up in Rabat. She is from the Ait Sadden tribe, a Middle Atlas Berbers, Berber tribe. Chafik s ...

(born 1962), Moroccan novelist *

Mohamed Chafik Mohamed Chafik (; ), born 17 September 1926, is a leading figure in the Amazigh (also known as Berber) cultural movement. An original author of the Amazigh Manifesto, he was later appointed as the first Rector of the Royal Institute of the Ama ...

(born 17 September 1926), Moroccan writer and the dean of the

IRCAM IRCAM (French: ''Ircam, '', English: Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) is a French institute dedicated to the research of music and sound, especially in the fields of avant garde and electro-acoustical art music. It is ...

. *

Mohamed Choukri Mohamed Choukri (Arabic: محمد شكري, Berber languages, Berber: ⵎⵓⵃⴰⵎⵎⴻⴷ ⵛⵓⴽⵔⵉ) (15 July 193515November 2003, was a Moroccan author and novelist who is best known for his internationally acclaimed autobiography ''Fo ...

, Moroccan writer * Mouloud Kacem Naît Belkacem writer and defender of the

Arab language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Mouloud Feraoun Mouloud Feraoun (8 March 1913 – 15 March 1962) was an Algerian writer and martyr of the Algerian revolution born in Tizi Hibel, Kabylie. Some of his books, written in French, have been translated into several languages including English and Ge ...

, writer assassinated by the

OAS OAS or Oas may refer to: Chemistry * O-Acetylserine, amino-acid involved in cysteine synthesis Computers * Open-Architecture-System, the main user interface of Wersi musical keyboards * OpenAPI Specification (originally Swagger Specification) ...

Assia Djebar Fatima-Zohra Imalayen (30 June 1936 – 6 February 2015), known by her pen name Assia Djebar ( ar, آسيا جبار), was an Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker. Most of her works deal with obstacles faced by women, and she is noted fo ...

, Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker *

Tahar Djaout Tahar Djaout (11 January 1954 – 2 June 1993) was an Algerian journalist, poet, and fiction writer. He was assassinated in 1993 by the Armed Islamic Group. Early life He was born in 1954 in Oulkhou, a village in the Kabylie region. After unive ...

, writer and journalisbet assassinated by the

GIA ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...

in 1993 * Hawad (born 1950),

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern A ...

poet and author * Issouf ag Maha Nigerien Tuareg writer *

Kateb Yacine Kateb Yacine (; 2 August 1929 or 6 August 1929 – 28 October 1989) was an Algerian writer notable for his novels and plays, both in French and Algerian Arabic, and his advocacy of the Berber cause. Biography Kateb Yacine was officially bo ...

, Algerian writer *

Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine Mohammed Khair-Eddine ( zgh, ⵎⵓⵃⵎⵎⴰⴷ ⵅⴰⵢⵔ ⴷⴷⵉⵏ; ar, محمد خير الدين) (1941 – November 18, 1995) was a Moroccan poet and writer. He was among the most famous Moroccan Berber literary figures of the 20th ...

, Moroccan poet and novelist *

Ali Lmrabet Ali Lmrabet (born 1959) is a Moroccan journalist and a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights. Early life Ali came from a modest Berber family, was born in a small village called Adouz near Al-Hoceima in north Morocco. He was sc ...

, Moroccan journalist *

Ahmed Sefrioui Ahmed Sefrioui ( ar, أحمد صفروي) (January 1, 1915 - February 25, 2004) was a Moroccan novelist and pioneer of Moroccan literature in the French language. Biography He was born in Fes, Morocco, Fes in 1915 of Berber people, Berber parent ...

, Moroccan novelist and pioneer of

Moroccan literature Moroccan literature is the literature produced by people who lived in or were culturally connected to Morocco and the historical states that have existed partially or entirely within the geographical area that is now Morocco. Apart from the vario ...

in the

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

* Tahar Ouettar *

Si Mohand Si Mohand ou-Mhand n At Hmadouch, also known as Si Mhand, (Icerɛiwen, Tizi Rached, about 1848 - Ain El Hammam, 28 December 1905) was a widely known Berber-Amazigh poet from Kabylie in Algeria. Called the "Kabyle Verlaine" by French scholars, his wo ...

, Kabyle folk poet

Music

Singers

Loreen Loreen may refer to: *Loreen (singer), Swedish singer *Loreen Rice Lucas (1914–2011), a Canadian author * "Loreen" (song), 1986 song by German singer Sandra See also *Loren (disambiguation) *Lorene Lorene is a given name. Notable people with the n ...

, singer *

Dania Ben Sassi Dania Ben Sassi, Tamazight: Danya At Sasi, Arabic: دانيا بن ساسي (born 1998) is a Libyan Amazigh singer whose music went viral during the First Libyan Civil War, due to the fact her music praises Amazigh resistance and are sung in Tama ...

, Libyan-Serbian singer *

Amel Brahim-Djelloul Amel Brahim-Djelloul is a soprano opera singer and concert recitalist. She is Algerian with Berber origins. Biography Considered one of the most promising singers of her generation, Amel Brahim-Djelloul started her musical studies with the v ...

, Algerian opera singer * Ammouri Mbarek, Moroccan singer-songwriter *

Fatima Tabaamrant Fatima Tabaamrant ( berber: ⴼⴰⵜⵉⵎⴰ ⵜⴰⴱⴰⵄⵎⵕⴰⵏⵜ; born 1962) is a Moroccan Berber actress and singer-songwriter. She sings and performs in her native Berber tongue. Fatima Tabaamrant, was born in 1962 in Boughafar, i ...

, Moroccan singer *

Najat Aatabou Najat Aâtabou ( ar, نجاة اعتابو; born 1960) is an Berber Moroccan singer, songwriter and composer. Her song "Hadi Kedba Bayna" was sampled by the Chemical Brothers in their 2004 song " Galvanize". Early life Najat Aâtabou was ...

, Moroccan singer *

Hindi Zahra Hindi Zahra ( Tamazight: ⵀⵉⵏⴷⵉ ⵣⴰⵀⵕⴰ, Arabic: هندي زهرة, born 20 January 1979 in Khouribga, Morocco) is a Moroccan singer. When coming up with a stage name, she simply inverted her birth name. Her songs are mostly in ...

, Moroccan singer * Chérifa, Algerian singer *

Mohamed Rouicha Mohamed Rouicha ( ar, محمد رويشة; 1950 – 17 January 2012) was a Moroccan folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** F ...

, Moroccan singer *

Lounès Matoub Lounès Matoub (; ) (January 24, 1956 – June 25, 1998) was an Algerian Kabyle people, Kabylian singer, poet, thinker who sparked an intellectual revolution, and mandole player who was an advocate of the Berber people, Berber cause, human ri ...

, Algerian Berberist and secularist singer assassinated in 1998 * Takfarinas, Algerian singer *

Idir Idir may refer to: People * Ali Idir (born 1966), Algerian judoka * Idir (singer) (1949–2020), Algerian singer-songwriter and musician * Idir Khourta (born 1986), French-born Algerian table tennis player * Idir Ouali (born 1988), French-Alger ...

, Algerian singer *

Katchou Katchou (real name Ali Nasri) was an Algerian singer, born on April 15, 1963, in Batna. Career He sang in Chaoui The Chaoui people or ''Shawia'' ( arq, الشاوية, shy, Išawiyen) are an Amazigh (Berber) ethnic group to the Aurès r ...

, Algerian singer * Lounis Aït Menguellet, Algerian singer *

Slimane Azem Slimane Azem (September 19, 1918 – January 31, 1983) was an Algerian singer and poet, born in Agouni Gueghrane (kabylie region),that composed hundreds of songs in more than 40 years of artistic life. A great connoisseur and admirer of the po ...

, Algerian singer *

Souad Massi Souad Massi (سعاد ماسي; born August 23, 1972), is an Algerian Berber singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death thre ...

, Algerian singer *

El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka ( ar, الحاج محمد العنقة}), (May 20, 1907 in Algiers – November 23, 1978 in Algiers) also known as Hadj Muhammed Al Anka, El-Hadj M'Hamed El Anka (and various other combinations), was considered a Grand Ma ...

Algerian

chaabi Chaabi ( in Arabic), also known as Chaâbi, Sha-bii, or Sha'bii meaning "folk", refers to different music genres in North Africa and the Middle East such as Algerian chaabi, Moroccan chaabi and Egyptian Shaabi. Chaabi music just means 'music ...

singer *

Rim'K Abdelkrim Brahmi a.k.a. Rim'K (born 21 June 1978 in Paris, France) is an Algerian–French rapper. Rim'K was raised in the Parisian suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine. His family is originally from Barbacha in Algeria and is mentioned many times in his ...

, rapper *

, Algerian writer and singer * Aïssa Djermouni, Chaoui folk poet *

Cheikh El Hasnaoui Cheikh El Hasnaoui (1910–2002) was a Berber singer born in a small town near Tizi Ouzou in Algeria. Career He sang Algerian chaabi music, and was, along with Slimane Azem, responsible for laying the foundations of modern popular Kabyle music i ...

, Algerian singer * Lhaj Belaid, Moroccan singer and poet

Composers

Cheb i Sabbah Cheb i Sabbah"Jewish DJ Captivates Arab Ears"
''

Oudaden, Moroccan band *

Tinariwen Tinariwen ( Tamasheq: , with vowels , pronounced ''tinariwen'' "deserts", plural of ''ténéré'' "desert") is a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Considered a pioneer of desert blues, the group's gu ...

, Tuareg band * Izenzaren, Moroccan band

Performing Arts

Actors

Erika Sawajiri is a Japanese former actress, singer, and model. After starting out as a junior model, Sawajiri transitioned to acting in 2002 and has starred in ''Break Through!'', ''Shinobi: Heart Under Blade'', and ''1 Litre no Namida (TV series), 1 Litre of ...

, Japanese actress, Japanese, Algerian mix *

Isabelle Adjani Isabelle Yasmina Adjani ; born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She is the only performer in history to win five César Awards for acting; she won the Best Actress award for '' Possession'' (1981), '' ...

, French actress and singer of Kabyle descent *

Saïd Taghmaoui Saïd Taghmaoui (born 19 July 1973) is a French-American actor and screenwriter. One of his major screen roles was that of Saïd in the 1995 French film ''La Haine'', directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Taghmaoui has also appeared in a number of En ...

, French-American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

of Moroccan descent *

Sofia Boutella Sofia Boutella ( ar, صوفيا بوتلة; born 3 April 1982) is an Algerian actress, model, and dancer. Early life Boutella was born in the Bab El Oued district of Algiers, Algeria, to an architect mother and a jazz musician father, Safy Bout ...

, Algerian actress, model and dancer * El Hedi ben Salem, Moroccan Berber actor known for his work with German director

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Fassbinder (; 31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982), sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement. Fassbinder's main ...

Film directors

* Bachir Bensaddek, Canadian director

Dancers

Kamel Ouali Kamel Ouali (born 15 December 1971) is a French-Algerian choreographer. Biography Kamel Ouali was born in Paris. He is from an Algerian Kabyle family of twelve children. In 1989, he was spotted by Angela Lorente of TF1 and by Cédric Naimi. H ...

, choreographer, dance teacher, teacher on the French reality TV show Star Academy France

Academic sciences

Linguistics and philology

Medieval times

Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati Abū Ḥayyān Athīr ad-Dīn al-Gharnāṭī ( ar, أَبُو حَيَّان أَثِير ٱلدِّين ٱلْغَرْنَاطِيّ, November 1256 – July 1344 CE / 654 - 745 AH), whose full name is Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf bin ‘Alī ibn Yūsuf ...

, commentator on the Quran and foremost Arabic grammarian of his era * Abu Musa al-Jazuli, philologian and grammarian *

Ibn Adjurrum Ibn Ājurrūm ( ar, إبن أَجُرُوم; Berber: Ageṛṛom or Agerrum) and his full name: Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn Dāwūd al-Ṣanhādjī ( ar, أبو عبد اللہ محمد بن داوود الصنهاجي). (1273� ...

, famous grammarian of

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

Modern times

* Saïd Cid Kaoui, Algerian berberologist and lexicographer *

Boulifa Si Amar u Said Boulifa ( – 8 June 1931) was an Algerian Kabyle Berberologist and teacher. Biography Boulifa was born around 1865 in Adni village in the Irjen tribe, within the Kabyle People, Kabyle tribal confederation of At Iraten in Ka ...

, Algerian Berberologist and teacher *

Salem Chaker Salem Chaker (born 1950 in Nevers) is an Algerian linguist. A specialist in Berber linguistics (syntax, diachrony, sociolinguistics), he is recognized as the "dean" of modern Berber studies. Biography Salem Chaker was born in 1950 in Nevers, ...

, Algerian Berberologist and director of Berber at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris. He is recognized as the "dean" of modern Berber studies *

Mouloud Mammeri Mouloud Mammeri () was an Algerian writer, anthropologist and linguist. Biography He was born on December 28, 1917, in Ait Yenni, in Tizi Ouzou Province, French Algeria. He attended a primary school in his native village, then emigrated t ...

, writer, anthropologist and linguist. * Abdellah Bounfour, Moroccan

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

and

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

History

Medieval period

* Mohammed al-Baydhaq, chronicler of the

Almohads The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire fo ...

* Ibn Amira, historian,

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

, and scholar of law from

al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...

Ibn Ghazi al-Miknasi Abu Abdallah Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Muhammad Ibn Ghazi al-'Utmani al-Miknasi () (1437–1513) was a Moroccan scholar in the field of history, Islamic law, Arabic philology and mathematics. He was born in Meknes from Banu Uthman, a clan in the ...

, Moroccan historian,

, and scholar of law from

* Ibn Hammad, medieval Berber ''qadi'' and historian *

Abd al-Aziz ibn Shaddad Izz al-Din Abu Muhammad Abd al-Aziz ibn Shaddad ibn Tamim ibn al-Mu'izz ibn Badis (d. after 1186), known as Abu al-Gharib Izz al-Din al-Sanhaji, was a Zirid chronicler. He was a prince of the Zirid dynasty. Biography Abd al-Aziz ibn Shaddad's bir ...

chronicler *

Abu al-Hasan Ali al-Jaznai Abu al-Hassan Ali al-Jaznai () (who lived in the 14th century) was a Moroccan historian and author of ''Kitab Tarikh madinat Fas, al-maruf bi-Zahrat al-as fi bina madinat Fas'' or simply ''Zahrat al-As'' (''The Myrtle Flower''), an important sourc ...

Modern period

* Mohammed Akensus (1797–1877) * Ahmad Ibn al-Qadi (December 18, 1552 – December 6, 1616) *

Mohammed al-Ifrani Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ifrani al-Susi al-Marrakushi () (1669/1670), called al-Saghir, was a Moroccan historian and biographer. Biography al-Ifrani was born in 1669/1670 in Marrakesh. His family was from the Ifran tribe, a Shil ...

(1670–1747) *

Abu al-Qasim al-Zayyani Abu al-Qasim al-Zayyani () or, in full, Abu al-Qasim ibn Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Ibrahim az-Zayyani (1734/35–1833) was a Moroccan historian, geographer, poet and Diplomat, statesman from the Berbers, Berber Zayanes, Zayane tribe in Morocco. He und ...

(1734/35–1833), Moroccan

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

and

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

* Ali Azayku (1942–2004) *

Abdelaziz al-Malzuzi Abu Faris Abdelaziz ibn Abdarrahman al-Malzuzi al-Miknasi () (born in Meknes, died 1298) is considered to be the greatest poet of the Marinid period.Eugène Guernier, Eugène Léonard Guernier, Georges Froment-Guieysse, ''L'Encyclopédie coloniale ...

Mohammed al-Mokhtar Soussi Mohammed al-Mokhtar Soussi ( ar, محمد المختار السوسي; 1900–1963) was a Moroccan Berber scholar, politician and writer who played an important role in the years before Morocco's independence in 1956.Charles Olivier Carbonell, "Un ...

* Mohamed Salah Mzali *

Mohammed Arkoun Mohammed Arkoun ( ar, محمد أركون; 1 February 1928 – 14 September 2010) was an Algerian scholar and thinker. He was considered to have been one of the most influential secular scholars in Islamic studies contributing to contemporary inte ...

, Algerian historian of Islamic thought

Science

Abbas ibn Firnas Abu al-Qasim Abbas ibn Firnas ibn Wirdas al-Takurini ( ar, أبو القاسم عباس بن فرناس بن ورداس التاكرني; c. 809/810 – 887 A.D.), also known as Abbas ibn Firnas ( ar, عباس ابن فرناس), Latinized Armen ...

, polymath *

Ibn al-Yasamin Abu Muhammad 'Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Hajjaj ibn al-Yasmin al-Adrini al-Fessi () (died 1204) more commonly known as ibn al-Yasmin, was a Berber mathematician, born in Morocco and he received his education in Fez and Sevilla. Little is known of ...

, Berber mathematician *

Mustapha Ishak Boushaki Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki is a theoretical physicist, cosmologist and professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is known for his contributions to the studies of cosmic acceleration and dark energy, gravitational lensing, and testing al ...

, Berber cosmologist

Religion

Christians

Tertullian Tertullian (; la, Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus; 155 AD – 220 AD) was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of L ...

early Christian Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish d ...

author *

Pope Victor I Pope Victor I (died 199) was the bishop of Rome in the late second century (189–199 A.D.). The dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of his death as 199.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1912). "Po ...

, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 189–199) *

Saint Cyprian of Carthage Cyprian (; la, Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus; 210 – 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Chri ...

, bishop of Carthage and martyr (b. 200–210, d. 258) *

Pope Miltiades Pope Miltiades ( grc-gre, Μιλτιάδης, ''Miltiádēs''), also known as Melchiades the African ( ''Melkhiádēs ho Aphrikanós''), was the bishop of Rome from 311 to his death on 10 or 11 January 314. It was during his pontificate that Emp ...

, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 311–314) *

Pope Gelasius I Pope Gelasius I was the bishop of Rome from 1 March 492 to his death on 19 November 496. Gelasius was a prolific author whose style placed him on the cusp between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.The title of his biography by Walter Ullma ...

, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 492–496) *Saint

Monica of Hippo Monica ( – 387) was an early North African Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, par ...

(Thagaste/Souk Ahras), (322–387), Saint Augustine's mother *Saint Alypius, (360–430) from Thagaste, bishop of Thagaste (394) *

Faustus of Mileve Faustus of Mileve was a Manichaean bishop of the fourth century. He is now remembered for his encounter with Augustine of Hippo, in Carthage around 383. He was from Milevis, Numidia (modern Algeria). From a poor, pagan background, he had become a ...

, from Milevis, bishop of Milevis (Mila) late 4th century *Saint

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

, (354–430), from Thagaste (Souk Ahras), bishop of Hippo Regius (Annaba) (395) *

Arius Arius (; grc-koi, Ἄρειος, ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaic presbyter, ascetic, and priest best known for the doctrine of Arianism. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead in Christianity, which emphasized God the Father's un ...

, proposed the doctrine of

Arianism Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God ...

Donatus Magnus Donatus Magnus, also known as Donatus of Casae Nigrae, became leader of a schismatic sect known as the Donatists in North Africa, Algeria. He is believed to have died in exile around 355. Life Little is known of his early life because of the co ...

, leader of the

Donatist Donatism was a Christian sect leading to a schism in the Church, in the region of the Church of Carthage, from the fourth to the sixth centuries. Donatists argued that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and t ...

schism *

Adrian of Canterbury Adrian, also spelled Hadrian (born before 637, died 710), was a North African scholar in Anglo-Saxon England and the abbot of Saint Peter's and Saint Paul's in Canterbury. He was a noted teacher and commentator of the Bible. Adrian was born betw ...

, Abbot of

St Augustine's Abbey St Augustine's Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Canterbury, Kent, England. The abbey was founded in 598 and functioned as a monastery until its dissolution in 1538 during the English Reformation. After the abbey's dissolution, it underwent ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

Muslims

Ibn Tumart Abu Abd Allah Amghar Ibn Tumart (Berber: ''Amghar ibn Tumert'', ar, أبو عبد الله امغار ابن تومرت, ca. 1080–1130 or 1128) was a Muslim Berber religious scholar, teacher and political leader, from the Sous in southern Mor ...

, founder of the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the Tawhid, unity of God) was a North African Berbers, Berber M ...

dynasty *

Muhammad al-Jazuli Abū 'Abdullah Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān ibn Abū Bakr al-Jazūli al-Simlālī () (d. 1465AD = 870AH), often known as Imam al-Jazuli or Sheikh Jazuli, was a Moroccan Sufi Saint. He is best known for compiling the '' Dala'il al-Khayrat'', an ext ...

, author of the Dala'il al-Khairat,

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

Muhammad al-Maghili Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim al-Maghili (), commonly known as Muhammad al-Maghili (14401505) was a Berber 'alim from Tlemcen, the capital of the Kingdom of Tlemcen, now in modern-day Algeria. Al-Maghili was responsible for converting to Islam the ru ...

, Berber 'alim from

Other

Salih ibn Tarif Ṣāliḥ ibn Tarīf (Arabic: صالح بن طريف) was the second king of the Berghouata kingdom, the prophet of a new Judeo-Christian religion, and the eponymous ancestor of the Oulad Salah tribe of Morocco. He appeared during the caliphate of ...

of the

Berghouata The Barghawatas (also Barghwata or Berghouata) were a Berber tribal confederation on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, belonging to the Masmuda confederacy. After allying with the Sufri Kharijite rebellion in Morocco against the Umayyad Caliphate ...

Law

Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah al-Maghrawi al-Wahrani () (died 3 June 1511) was a Maliki scholar of Islamic law, active in the Maghreb (modern day Algeria and Morocco) from the end of the fifteenth century until his death. He was identified as ...

Maliki The ( ar, مَالِكِي) school is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas in the 8th century. The Maliki school of jurisprudence relies on the Quran and hadiths as primary ...

scholar of

Islamic law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...

* Mundhir ibn Sa'īd al-Ballūṭī, judge for the

Caliph of Cordoba A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

Ahmad al-Wansharisi Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Wansharisi ( ar, أحمد بن يحيى الونشريسي, full name: Abu ’l-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn ʿAlī al-Wans̲h̲arīsī or simply known as al-Wansharisi, b. 1430 or 1431 ...

, Muslim theologian and jurist of the

school *

Ibn Arafa Ibn Arafa (), born Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn Arafa al-Warghammi, in 1316 in Tunis and died in 1401 in the same city, was a Tunisian Imam, the most illustrious representative of Maliki Islam to the Hafsid period. Of Berber origin from south-easte ...

* Abu al-Hassan Ali ibn Mohammed al-Zarwili,

qadi A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a '' sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and mino ...

of Taza and later qadi of

Fez Fez most often refers to: * Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire * Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco Fez or FEZ may also refer to: Media * ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...

Travel

Ibn Battuta Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berbers, Berber Maghrebi people, Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, ...

(1304–1377), Moroccan traveller and

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

Leo Africanus Joannes Leo Africanus (born al-Hasan Muhammad al-Wazzan, ar, الحسن محمد الوزان ; c. 1494 – c. 1554) was an Andalusian diplomat and author who is best known for his 1526 book '' Cosmographia et geographia de Affrica'', later ...

(c. 1494 – c. 1554), Berber

Andalusi The Arabic '' nisbah'' (attributive title) Al-Andalusi denotes an origin from Al-Andalus. Al-Andalusi may refer to: * Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati * Ibn Hazm * Ibn Juzayy * Ibn 'Atiyya * Said Al-Andalusi Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī (); he was Abū al-Qāsi ...

diplomat and Travel writer *

Estevanico Estevanico ("Little Stephen"; modern spelling Estebanico; –1539), also known as Esteban de Dorantes or Mustafa Azemmouri (مصطفى الزموري), was the first African to explore North America. Estevanico first appears as a slave in Portu ...

(1500–1539), Moroccan explorer, who became the first North African of Berber origin to explore North America

Politics

Politicians

Thami El Glaoui Thami El Glaoui ( ar, التهامي الكلاوي; 1879–23 January 1956) was the Pasha of Marrakesh from 1912 to 1956. His family name was el Mezouari, from a title given an ancestor by Ismail Ibn Sharif in 1700, while El Glaoui refers to hi ...

Pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, gener ...

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

1912–1956 * Mohand Arav Bessaoud,

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

and

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

. He was described as the spiritual father of Berberism. *

Saïd Sadi Saïd Sadi ( Kabyle: Saεid Seεdi) (born 26 August 1947) is an Algerian politician who was President of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) until 2012. He is founder of the first Algerian human rights league. Born at Aghribs, now in Tizi ...

, secularist politician * Massinissa Akandouch, Riffian activist (2001) * Belkacem Radjef (1909–1989), politician; co-founder Etoile Nord-Africaine (1933); founder of Secours National Algerien (1962). * Hocine Aït Ahmed, Algerian revolutionary fighter and secularist politician * Sidi Said, leader of the Algerian syndicate of workers : UGTA *

Khalida Toumi Khalida Toumi ( ar, خليدة تومي) (born 13 March 1958), aka Khalida Messaoudi ( ar, خليدة مسعودي), is an Algerian politician. She was the Minister of Communication and Culture until April 2014. She is also a feminist activi ...

, Algerian feminist and secularist, currently spokesperson for the Algerian government *

Ahmed Ouyahia Ahmed Ouyahia ( ar, rtl=yes, أحمد أويحيى, Aḥmad ʾŪyaḥyā; 2 July 1952) is an Algerian politician who was Prime Minister of Algeria four times (1995–98, 2004–2006, 2008–2012, 2017–2019). A career diplomat, he also served as ...

Prime Minister of Algeria The prime minister of Algeria is the head of government of Algeria. Aymen Benabderrahmane has been the prime minister since 30 June 2021. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Algeria, along with other ministers and members of t ...

* Belaïd Abrika, one of the spokesmen of the Arouch *

Saadeddine Othmani Saadeddine Othmani ( ber, ⵙⴰⵄⴷ ⴷⴷⵉⵏ ⵍⵄⵓⵜⵎⴰⵏⵉ; ar, سعد الدين العثماني; born 16 January 1956), sometimes translated as Saad Eddine el-Othmani, is a Moroccan politician. He served as the 16th prime mi ...

, deputy of

Inezgane Inezgane (; ) is the capital of Inezgane-Aït Melloul Prefecture located on the north bank of the Sous River, about south of Agadir, on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Morocco. It is in some ways a suburb to the larger Agadir, but unlike the tourism ...

, an outer suburb of

Agadir Agadir ( ar, أݣادير, ʾagādīr; shi, ⴰⴳⴰⴷⵉⵔ) is a major city in Morocco, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean, and south ...

, is the leader of the Justice and Development Party ( Islamist) and head of the Moroccan government. * Liamine Zeroual and

Houari Boumedienne Houari is a given name and surname. It may refer to: Persons Given name *Houari Boumédiène, also transcribed Boumediene, Boumedienne etc. (1932–1978), served as Chairman of the Revolutionary Council of Algeria from 19 June 1965 until 12 Decembe ...

, former Presidents of Algeria *

Nouri Abusahmain Nouri Abusahmain ( ar, نوري أبو سهمين; born October 25, 1956) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the intern ...

, President of the Libyan

General National Congress The General National Congress or General National Council (GNC; ar, المؤتمر الوطني العام, Berber: Agraw Amuran Amatay) was the legislative authority of Libya for two years following the end of the First Libyan Civil War. It w ...

Mohamed Seghir Boushaki Mohamed Seghir Boushaki (), (born 27 November 1869 in Thénia, Boumerdès Province, Kabylie, Algeria; died 1959 in Thenia, Algeria) was an Algerian Berber politician after the French conquest of Algeria. Presentation Mohamed Seghir Bousha ...

Liamine Zéroual Liamine Zéroual ( ar, اليمين زروال ALA-LC: ''al-Yamīn Zarwāl''; Berber: Lyamin Ẓerwal; born 3 July 1941) is an Algerian politician who was the sixth President of Algeria from 31 January 1994 to 27 April 1999. Biography He was bor ...

, President of Algeria between 1994 and 1999 *

Hamid Algabid Hamid Algabid (born 1941) is a Nigerien politician and the President of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP-Jama'a) party. A lawyer, banker, and technocrat, Algabid was an important figure in the regime of Seyni Kountché, serving as Prime ...

, Prime Minister of

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesOIC 1989–1996 Zinedine Zidane 2008-2

Sport

Adam Ounas Adam Mohamed Ounas ( ar, آدم أوناس; born 11 November 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or attacking midfielder for club Lille. Born in France, he plays for the Algeria national team. Club career Early ca ...

, French footballer of

Algerian Algerian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Algeria * Algerian people This article is about the demographic features of the population of Algeria, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, econo ...

descent * Amine Adli *

Amine Harit Amine Harit ( ar, أمين حاريث; born 18 June 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Marseille. Born in France, with Moroccan parents, he plays for the Morocco national team. Club career Nantes H ...

, Moroccan Footballer *

Achraf Hakimi Achraf Hakimi Mouh ( ar, أشرف حكيمي موح; born 4 November 1998) is a professional footballer who plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Morocco national team. He mainly plays as a right-back. Known for his speed, runs and ...

, Spanish footballer of Moroccan descent * Abdelhamid Sabiri *

Bouchaib El Moubarki Bouchaib El Moubarki ( ar, بوشعيب المباركي; born 12 January 1978) is a former Moroccan footballer. Club career He also played for the famous Qatari side, Al-Sadd Sports Club and Grenoble. El Moubarki was a participant in the 2000 ...

Faouzi Chaouchi Faouzi Chaouchi ( ar, فوزي شاوشي; born 5 December 1984) is an Algerian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for JS Bordj Ménaïel. Chaouchi is considered to be national hero by many Algerians, as he put in a heroic perfo ...

* Habib Bellaïd, French footballer of Algerian descent *

Houssem Aouar Houssem-Eddine Chaâbane Aouar (born 30 June 1998) is a Algerian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon. Early life Houssem-Eddine Chaâbane Aouar was born on 30 June 199 ...

, French footballer of Moroccan descent *

Ismaël Bennacer Ismaël Bennacer ( ar, إسماعيل بن ناصر, ʼIsmāʻīl bin Nāṣir; born 1 December 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club AC Milan. Born in France, he represents the Algeria national team. At club l ...

, French Footballer of Moroccan descent *

Karim Ziani Karim Koceila Yanis Ziani ( ar, كريم زياني; born 17 August 1982) is an Algerian former professional footballer. He played in different midfield positions but was best known as a playmaker. He is now the sporting director of JS Kabylie. ...

, French footballer of algerian descent * Mounir Chouiar, French footballer of moroccan descent *

Rabah Madjer Rabah Mustapha Madjer ( ar, رابح مصطفى ماجر; born 15 December 1958) is an Algerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He reached stardom as a Porto player during the 1980s, being widely regarded as one of th ...

, Algerian footballer, winner of the

1986–87 European Cup The 1986–87 season was the 32nd season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football competition. The tournament was won by Porto, who came from behind in the final against Bayern Munich to give a Portuguese club its first title since 1 ...

with

FC Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...

Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He most recently coached Spanish club Real Madrid and is one of the most ...

, French footballer and manager of

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...

Karim Benzema Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains La Liga club Real Madrid. A creative and prolific forward, Benzema is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. ...

, French-Algerian footballer * Karim Bridji,

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

n footballer *

Madjid Bougherra Madjid Bougherra ( ar, مجيد بوقرة, lit=, links=, translit=; born 7 October 1982) is an Algerian football manager and former player who played as a centre-back. He is the manager of the Algeria A' national team. Bougherra began his p ...

, French-

footballer *

Mustapha Hadji Mustapha Hadji (born 16 November 1971) is a Moroccan football coach and former player. He was named the 50th greatest African player of all time by the African football expert Ed Dove. Early life Hadji was born in Ifrane Atlas-Saghir, Morocco. ...

, Moroccan footballer nominated as the best African player of the year 1998 *

Nadir Belhadj Nadir Belhadj ( ar, نذير بلحاج ; born 18 June 1982) is a professional footballer who plays for Muaither as a left-back. An Algerian international, Belhadj was a former French youth international having played for the French Under-18's ...

, French-

footballer *

Younes Belhanda Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th cent ...

, Moroccan Footballer *

Youssouf Hadji Youssouf Hadji ( ar, يوسف حجي; born 25 February 1980) is a Moroccan former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He notably had three spells for French side AS Nancy, also serving as the team captain, making 378 a ...

, Moroccan footballer *

Karim Soltani Karim Soltani ( ar, كريم سلطاني ; born 29 August 1984) is an Algerian footballer. He primarily plays as a winger, but can also play as a striker. Career Born in Brest, France, Soltani began his career at age 11 in a small club in th ...

Kévin Malcuit Kévin Malcuit (born 31 July 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays for Turkish club Ankaragücü. He predominantly plays as a full-back. He is also capable of playing in a number of different positions, including as a winger and ...

, French footballer of Moroccan descent * Samir Malcuit, French footballer of Moroccan descent *

Khalid Boulahrouz Khalid Boulahrouz (born 28 December 1981) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender. His nickname is "The Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" the opposition. He was noted for his tackling and versatility at the back. ...

, Dutch footballer of Moroccan descent *

Ibrahim Afellay Ibrahim Afellay (born 2 April 1986) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. He played youth football at Elinkwijk before joining the PSV Eindhoven youth academy at age 10. After debuting in 20 ...

, Dutch footballer of Moroccan origin *

Riyad Mahrez Riyad Karim Mahrez ( ar, رياض كريم محرز, Riyāḍ Karīm Maḥraz; born 21 February 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Manchester City and captains the Algeria national team. Mahrez began his career ...

, Algerian footballer won the

English Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

with

Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...

Islam Slimani Islam Slimani ( ar, إسلام سليماني; born 18 June 1988) is an Algerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Brest and the Algeria national team. Slimani began his career in his homeland with JSM Chéraga and C ...

, Algerian footballer * Ismaël Gharbi * Adel Taarabt, Moroccan footballer *

Hakim Ziyech Hakim Ziyech ( ar, حكيم زياش; ber, ⵃⴰⴽⵉⵎ ⵣⵉⵢⴰⵛ; born 19 March 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Chelsea. Born in the Netherlands, he represent ...

, Moroccan footballer * Oussama Assaidi, Moroccan footballer *

Zakaria Labyad Zakaria Labyad ( Riffian-Berber: ⵣⴰⵎⴰⵔⵉⵢⴰ ⵍⴱⵢⴰⴷ; born 9 March 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. Born in the Netherlands, he represented that nation at under-17 level before switc ...

, Moroccan footballer *

Abdeslam Ouaddou Abdeslam Ouaddou ( ar, عبدالسلام وادو; born 1 November 1978) is a Moroccan former professional footballer who played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder. Club career Ouaddou was born in Alnif, Morocco. He started his footbal ...

, Moroccan footballer * Youssef Mokhtari, Moroccan footballer *

Munir El Haddadi Munir El Haddadi Mohamed ( ar, منير الحدادي; born 1 September 1995), or simply Munir, is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Getafe and the Morocco national team. Munir began his career in the youth ra ...

, Spanish-Moroccan footballer *

Samir Nasri Samir Nasri (born 26 June 1987) is a French former professional footballer. He primarily played as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he had also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri was known for his dribbling, ball control ...

, French-Algerian footballer *

Nordin Amrabat Noureddine "Nordin" Amrabat ( ar, نورالدين أمرابط, ber, ⵏⵓⵓⵔⴷⴷⵉⵏ ⴰⵎⵔⴰⴱⴰⵜ; born 31 March 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek Super League club AEK Athens. Amrabat played ...

, Moroccan footballer *

Sofyan Amrabat Sofyan Amrabat ( ar, سفيان أمرابط; ber, ⵙⵓⴼⵢⴰⵏ ⴰⵎⵕⴰⴱⵟ; born 21 August 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United, on loan from Serie A club ...

, Moroccan footballer *

Yassine Bounou Yassine Bounou ( ar, ياسين بونو; ber, ⵢⴰⵙⵉⵏ ⴱⵓⵏⵓ; born 5 April 1991), also known as Bono, is a Moroccan footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Sevilla and the Morocco national team. Bono began his yo ...

* Yasser Larouci *

Badr Hari Badr Hari (born 8 December 1984) is a Moroccan-Dutch kickboxer. He is a former K-1 Heavyweight World Champion (2007–2008), It's Showtime Heavyweight World Champion (2009–2010) and ''K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 and 2009'' finalist. Born an ...

, Moroccan kick-boxer and K-1 legend from Souss *

Kylian Mbappé Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is renowned for his dribb ...

, French footballer of Algerian Kabyle descent * Fouad Idabdelhay * Rayan Aït-Nouri * Simo * Mehdy Guezoui * Mohcine Nader * Nabil El Zhar *

Nader Matar Nader Charbel Matar ( ar, نادر شربل مطر, ; born 12 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Ansar and the Lebanon national team. Matar began his senior career in 2008 in Portugal, playing for Sport ...

Nassim Ben Khalifa Nassim Ben Khalifa (born 13 January 1992) is a Swiss footballer. He currently plays for the J1 League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Club career Grasshopper Ben Khalifa started playing football with local team Nyon, Gland and Lausanne-Sport before ...

Omar El Kaddouri Omar El Kaddouri ( Riffian-Berber: ⵄⵎⴰⵔ ⵍⵇⴰⴷⵓⵔⵉ; born 21 August 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or a winger for Greek Super League club PAOK. Born in Belgium, he represents Morocco at internati ...

Yazid Mansouri Yazid Mansouri ( ar, يزيد منصوري, Yazīd Manṣūrī) (born 25 February 1978) is a former footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in France, he represented Algeria at international level, gaining 67 caps over ten years. Club care ...

Youssef En-Nesyri Youssef En-Nesyri ( ar, يوسف النصيري; pronounced ; born 1 June 1997) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Sevilla and the Morocco national team. En-Nesyri has spent his entire senior football ...

Yuri Berchiche Yuri Berchiche Izeta (born 10 February 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Athletic Bilbao. He began his senior career at Tottenham Hotspur without making a first-team appearance, being loaned ...

, Spanish Footballer of

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

n descent * Zinédine Machach, French-Algerian Footballer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imazighen *

Berbers , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...